Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-25
THE FICTs IROCT GENERIL kEIFER
AND HIS G.iRFIELD 0RITION.


AND HIS G.iRE1ELD 0RITIoN.
The dispatch from Washington published
in the papers of the cath inst, saying that
Colonel Duf1eld. of Detroit. Michigan, had
been chosen by the executive committee OF
the Army of the Cumberland 10 deliver the
Grafton at the unveiling of the Garfield
statue in May next in the place of Senator
Harrison, of Indiana. who was first select
ed, was evidently sent out by some person
excessively ignorant of the whole matter.
or, what is worse, by some person who was
vicious and willing. for day, to give a
wrong impression.
The executive committee of the society
of the Army of the Cumberland, at seS-
sion held at Grand Rapids. Michigan. in
October. 1855. selected Senator Harrison,
of Indiana. to deliver an address al the
next meeting of that society, and this is in
accordance with the usage of the society.
But the orator for the unveling of the
statue to General Garfield on the nth day
of MAY next was not TO be selected by the
executive committee of the society of the
Army of the Cumberland, but by the Gar
field monument committee, General Bar
nett, of Cleveland being the president of
the committee.
The Executive Committee of the Society
of the Army of the Cumberland has moth
ing TO do with the unveiling of the statue.
and it has never attempted to interfere
with the matter at all. The accompanying
correspondence shows how the selection
was made, and from the interview with
General Barnett. of Cleveland. as pub
lished in the Leader. it is not very likely
that that committee will make any change.
1t will be noticed that the selection was
a unanimous one by committee of dis
tipguished officers of the army. the list of
which also appears in connection with
General Barnett'S interview. The CORE
spondence is as follows:
CINCINNATI. Dee. Is, 1856.
General J. Warren keifer:
Ny DEAR GENERAL AT recent meet
ing of the Garfield Monument committee
you were unanimously elected to deliver the
address at the unveiling of the statue in
Washington. May IL. 1887.
Please acknowledge the receipt hereof
and give me the pleasure of hearing from
you an acceptance of the duty.
Very truly yours,
HENRY VI. CI>T.
Recording Sec. Committee
SPRINGFIELD, o.. Dec. Il. 1856.
Gen. Henry NJ. Gist. Recording Secretary. etc.
Cincinnati. Ohio.
Ny DEAR FRIENp-i have the honor TO
acknowledge the receipt of your favor of
the 18th inst. informing me that the Gar
field Monument committee, at a recent
meeting. had unanimously elected me to de-
liver the address al the unveiling of the
Garfield statue in Washington. May II.
1887.
am. think. sensible of the delicate
task and responsibility an address on that
occasion will involve. but as the committee
has unanimously made the selection | ac-
cept the invitation and shall end.avor to
make the address as acceptable at can.
thank you and the committee very cor
daily. Yours with high esteem.
J. WAEEEN KEIFER
The following, from the Cleveland Lead
er, of Thursday, gives the facts IN the
case:
A special dispatch TO the Leader from
Washington, published yesterday. stated
that some dissatisfaction existed at the
Capital about the selection of General
Keifer. of Springfield Ohio. to deliver the
Grafton at the unveiling of the proposed
Garfield monument in Washington. The
monument referred TO is being erected by
the Society of the Army of the Cumberland
at a cost of SO. 900. The committee
who have its erection and final
disposition in charge. have been assured
that congress will grant site and appro-
pirate sum sufficient for the pedestal
fhe pedestal will cost $50 900. and the
statue which is TO surmount il will cost a
like amount. J. q. A. Ward, the New
York sculptor who executed the well known
talutSil ldu Stttht VI HIS
the work in hand. The statue will be COM
pleted and ready for unveling by May Ii
On that date the annual meeting of the So
ciety of the Army of the Cumberland oc-
ours. and the monument will then be
TURNED OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT
as custodian for the people who have con-
tributed for its erection. General keifer
was recently invited by the committee in
IN. .iaiiyar ti,a ~ ba
ing ceremony The dispatch referred to
stated that friends of General Garfield
thought some other person should be selected
10 deliver the Grafton. and it was intimated
that the committee would select some other
man in his stead. General James Barnett,
of this city. is the chairman of the commit
tee who selected General Keifer. He said
to Leader reporter yesterday: Il know
no reason why there should be any opposi-
tion to having General keifer deliver the
Grafton at the unveiling of the Garfield
monument. | believe there are rumors of
among certain individuals in
Washington, but this. as is well known.
grows out of the opposition these same per-
sons showed toward General keifer when
he was speaker of the house. He was then
bounded bv lot of Washington politicians
and newspaper correspondents who
ARE THE VERY SANE PERSONS
that now decry his selection. For my part
| cannot see why he should not be selected
In the first place he was in the Army of the
Cumberland and there is no question about
his having been a good soldier. He is Ger
tainly competent to deliver the Grafton. and
the committee chose him because he is all
Ohio man and so was Garfield. Then again,
be was very active in behalf of the monu-
ment while he was in Washington. He
was also very intimate with General Gar
field. They were warm friends. and
therefore cannot see why he is not the best
man. on the whole. that we would have Sc
lected. | have heard nothing from the
other members of the committee about sub
another speaker. and | do not
think there is any truth in that report"
The other members of the committee are:
Generals J. c. Smith, of Chicago. Ill: A.
g. McCoOk. of New York; Colonel II. c.
rOrbin. of Washington. ID. C: General W.
\. Robinson. of Pittsburg, Pa: General IL.
r Underwood of RnStnp Mass I iaut.p-